In 2009 and 2010, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht celebrate art, culture and the rich heritage of the Netherlands, as part of an exceptional event: “Holland Art Cities”. On this occasion, the ten most important museums of the country have concocted an enticing program. And that’s not all. The Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum and the Stedelijk Museum, finally renovated, will reopen. A little preview of the festivities to come.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht
Art is one of the reasons that drives us to the Netherlands. With its very rich pictorial tradition – the golden age of Dutch painting being one of the most illustrious periods in the history of art -, this small country radiates far beyond its tiny territory.

Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht are home to some of the most beautiful museums in the world. Exceptional fact: they are only an hour away from each other. The Netherlands does not just have one of the highest population densities in the world. This country has the highest concentration of museums and masterpieces per km 2.

Obviously, such generosity begs to be celebrated. This will be done over the next two years with Holland Art Cities, an event taking place in the four Dutch art cities, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht. This large-scale and prestigious operation should attract crowds of visitors to the land of polders and tulips.

In 2009-2010, cultural organizations and the main museums in Holland will offer an exceptional cultural offer (exhibitions, festivals, reopening of museums, etc.). So, expect the highest density of artistic and cultural events in the world. The program includes at least 20 major exhibitions, in the ten main museums of the country.

Ten museums participate in the Holland Art Cities program. They are the most important in the country.

On the occasion of Holland Art Cities, three museums in Amsterdam will (finally!) Reopen their doors to the public: The Hermitage Amsterdam, with exhibits from the rich collection of works of art from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, will be expanded in the spring of 2009. The new building will be ten times larger (4,000 m²) that current the Stedelijk Museum, the great museum of modern art in Amsterdam, will present after renovation, for the first time since 2003, a large part of its amazing collection.

In 2010 the much-awaited reopening of the Rijksmuseum will take place, several times postponed. The “Dutch Louvre” will be dusted from top to bottom and visitors will finally be able to admire its prestigious collection, essential for its masterpieces from the Dutch Golden Age.
Major exhibitions

Holland Art Cities uses three themes to guide visitors through the richness of the Dutch artistic heritage:

” International influences ” deals with the fruitful exchanges between the Netherlands – the crossroads of world cultures – and the rest of the planet.
Among the exhibitions not to be missed: Erasmus in pictures at the Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam (until February 8); Love, art passion: couples of artists at the Gemeenten Museum in The Hague (until March 1) and the long-awaited Van Gogh and the colors of the night at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (February 13 to June 7, 2009) .

“Young artists, contemporary art and design” Reveals the richness of the collections of art and contemporary design in Dutch museums.

Among the exhibitions not to be missed are Culture and Conflicts at the Kunsthal in Rotterdam (mid-2009), Cézanne-Picasso at the Gemeente Museum in The Hague (Oct. 2009 –Feb. 2010) and The origins of modern art at the ‘Hermitage Amsterdam (spring-autumn 2010)

‘ Dutch masters ‘ with several exhibitions on the Golden Age, which should attract crowds, including the young Vermeer, still lifes of flowers and the never exhibited works of master’s from a private collection American at Mauritshuis in The Hague (in 2010).

Apart from the exhibitions, Holland Art Cities offers the opportunity to (re) discover the museums of the Netherlands, notably the less known ones like the Boijmans Van Beuningen of Rotterdam and its amazing permanent collection (Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Dali, Picasso, Kandinsky, De Kooning). Holland Art Cities’ objective is to attract at least 200,000 additional visitors to the Netherlands and to participating museums.

All you have to do is book your Thalys ticket or buy your return flight. Be aware that it may get crowded, especially during the May bridges. Go and (re) discover the other country of art.

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